Man vs. Flip Flops

One of the funniest videos I have seen in a long time!

Things I Heard This Week That I Wish I Hadn't

It's been a long week.  Here are some snippets of conversations in which I took part or overheard during the last few days that made me want to either punch someone in the face or just crawl back in bed:

• You have to come in 4 hours early all week for cross-training.
• Mrs. Boymom, Little Man has mono. 
• Mom!  The cat pooped in the tub.
• Overtime has been cancelled until further notice.
• I need to buy ammo for my Firearms class this weekend.  Which bank account has any money left in it?
• Ask your husband if you can go out to dinner with me Saturday night.
• Honey, I came home and the water was turned off.  Did we pay the bill?
• Your deductible is $500. 
• We're out of toilet paper (screamed from the upstairs bathroom)!
• Mom!  Little Man is throwing up again! 
• I don't want to go back to school!  I hate it and you can't make me!
• Why is there no food in the house after you just went shopping?
• The reality is that the hard workers rarely get noticed.  People get noticed when they screw up or kiss the boss' butt.  So you need to decide whether you are going to screw up, kiss up or just work hard with no acknowledgement. 
• Quit bugging me or I will hit your spleen and make you go to the hospital (related to the mono symptoms, but I'm going to save this one for my own verbal threat arsenal.  It would really throw someone off, wouldn't it?).  

There were more things said that made me want to scream, but honestly, I'm too tired to try and remember them all.  Feel free to share some of your irritating conversations in the comments.  I could use a few laughs.   

LikeWear Review and Giveaway

Look what we received in the mail last week from LikeWear!!

Lisa Gold, the founder of LikeWear, has designed a line of high quality, casual boutique children's clothing that sport designs which incorporate super well-known brands like Tootsie Roll and Honda and other kid friendly pop culture images.

I chose these 2 shirts for my boys and was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the material used to make the t-shirts. It is not cheap and flimsy and the clothing is already pre-shrunk! No more action figure size t-shirts after a spin in the dryer! My boys really like the cool designs.

Another thing I like about LikeWear is that Lisa and her husband Ken have set up the business so that entreprenurial minded moms can get involved in the business and earn some extra money.  Here's a tag from their marketing material that explains more about their programs:

LikeWear®, the first and only company to focus on selling licensed apparel and accessories via the Direct Selling channel, is a modern day fusion of a fun, boutique children’s clothing line and more traditional party plan direct sales companies (like Mary Kay or The Pampered Chef). We provide a flexible and financially rewarding way to earn money or have a career selling a unique line of children’s clothing and accessories that feature products, brands and other stuff moms and their kids really like. Hence the name LikeWear!

From modern day and vintage package art, to exclusive designs and unique twists on popular culture, we’ve created more than 100 images featuring family friendly brands like Wheaties, Trix, Tootsie Roll, Dots, Honda PowerSports and many others. To make things really interesting, we use a just-in-time manufacturing process and encourage our representatives to help their customers mix and match our images with different body types and color ways. By doing so, we hope to truly fulfill the promise of our tagline, “wear what you like”.

I am impressed with LikeWear as a company for a few different reasons:

• As a mom with a limited clothing budget for my family, I like the fact that LikeWear puts so much time and attention into their products to create things that kids like to wear.  I hate buying something for one of them and hearing "I hate that!"
• As a former SAHM who has just had to re-enter the workforce, I look for these kinds of opportunities that will allow me to earn a living without taking so much time from my family.  

You can find out more about LikeWear and their income earning opportunities here.

You can also try out the clothing by entering to WIN A $50 gift certificate for LikeWear merchandise! To enter, check out the LikeWear website and leave a comment telling me what you would get with the gift certificate.  Contest is open to US residents only and ends on April 30th, 2010 at 12 Midnight PST.

Don't want to wait that long to try out their stuff?  Likewear is offering a special discount to I Am Boymom readers!!  I know!  They are so generous!!  Just enter the code IAMBOYMOM (in all caps) at checkout and you will receive 25% off everything in the store, EXCEPT for sale items. (FYI – they’ve got a big Earth Day Sale going on now too!  Make sure that you hit “Apply” after entering your code. It will stay live until the middle of May.

**Disclosure:  I received a $50 gift cert from LikeWear in order to purchase some clothing so that I could write this review.  The fact that I received products from the vendor does not sway my opinion regarding the quality and value of the product.  My opinions are my own. 

This Post is For My Friend at Work

You ask me sometimes about marriage and kids.  About what it's like to be tied down.  You have not found your soulmate and you wonder if you ever will.  That's what you tell me.  I've watched you for a few short weeks as you choose your dates and search for "the one."  I don't always get your choices, but I get the need to feel wanted and needed.  I know that you are a real catch and one day you will make someone very happy. 

You tell me you aren't a kid person.  One day I watched you get really annoyed at some kid whose mom was letting him run amuck in a restaurant and you started to get loud about it.  I kind of told you to calm down, but realized that you had a point.  The kid was out of control and the mom was really lackadaisical about her kid ruining the atmosphere for the other diners.  So I see that maybe you really aren't comfortable around kids.  And I understand why you might think all kids are like that little dude.  But they aren't.  There are some good kids around.  Kids like the kind of kid I think you were when you were little.  I hope one day you get to experience the love of a really good kid.  It changes your heart.  It changes your life.  Ask your dad how it feels.    

You also mentioned that it seems like I am in prison sometimes because I have all these family obligations that keep me from really letting loose and being who I am.  You are right...I have felt like that sometimes.  I have felt like I was trapped and struggling to live a life that makes me happy.  But the truth is, my kind friend, if I have ever felt trapped or imprisoned by my life as a wife and a mom, it has nothing to do with my kids or my marriage.  It has everything to do with who I am and the choices I have made.  And more importantly, the reasoning and logic I used when I made those choices.  

Let me clarify.  Yes...when I was single, I could come and go when I pleased and I could spend my money the way I wanted to and I NEVER had to worry about having someone attached to my hip 24 hours a day (except for an occasional clingy friend).  My life was my own, my choices were my own and my mistakes were my own.  Rarely did I have to worry about others, unless I chose to do so.  Sometimes I do miss that freedom of not having to worry about anyone but myself. 

But I can honestly say that I never miss that feeling so much that I would give up the experience of being a mom and a wife to have that freedom again, no matter how much the choice to have a family costs me.  Maybe "cost" is the wrong word.  It's not so much a matter of how much the choice cost me, it's more a matter of how much of myself I chose to give up in trying to make a perfect family and live a perfect life.

We have these ideas of what relationships should look and feel like and so we go into life situations with expectations and pictures in our heads about what a perfect marriage and family unit should be.  And my choice was to set really high, pretty unrealistic expectations for what married life would be like for me. So when life happens and it's really hard?  Yeah...I have felt trapped.  Why?  Because I loved my husband so much when I married him, I never foresaw a time when we would not be as close as conjoined twins.  We would never tire of each other and we would have the best relationship EVAH because he was perfect and I was perfect and together we would be double perfect!  Whoo-hoo!  Even though I knew deep down we were far from perfect. I know...it was naive.  All I knew is that I didn't want to have the kind of relationships I had seen growing up, so I went into marriage hoping and praying for the best and thinking that if you love someone enough, the rest just kind of comes together.  I had no clue that I would have to have an advanced degree in human nature and psychology to navigate my new life with a man and kids!  I know.  I KNOW!!  Naive.  Too bad Dr. Phil wasn't around then to help me out. 

So being the optimist that I was at the time, I chose to set up my relationship with my husband on the highest freaking mountain peak I could find.  "Let's shoot for the stars, Honey!"  Then, I expected him to want to climb the mountain, and to be able to reach the peak with me where we would experience the pinnacle of "perfect married life."  Angels would sing and the clouds would part and the finger of God would reach out to bless our union with love and harmony and we'd buy everyone a Coke and there would be singing and laughter throughout the world!   

Except I never bothered to stop and ask him if he knows how to climb mountains.  I just assumed he knew how because he's smart and funny and he has goals and aspirations, so...cool!  Seemed like a good assumption.  Let's go, Dude!  Up the mountain!  Then one day it occurs to me he's not making much vertical progress and he's miserable and I'm getting angry because I'm tired of dragging him up the hill and when I finally take the time to ask what his problem is, he says he hates climbing mountains!   WHAT!?!  How did I not know he hates mountain climbing?!  In all our years of dating, how did this question not come up?  Not slightly dislikes it...HATES IT!  So now I'm married to a guy who is not a mountain climber.  He is something else.  Maybe he's a swimmer or a flyer or a runner.  Whatever he is, he's not a mountain climber.  So I end up being pissed that he sucks at climbing mountains.  Can I be mad at him for that?  Well, I can be, and sometimes I am mad at him for it, but should I be mad?  Probably not.  I made the choice to marry him and I made the assumption that he would and could climb mountains.  And I geared my whole life around making sure we got up the mountain together, at the same time, the same way.  I became his Sherpa.  I thought that's what I was supposed to do.  So I did it. I never gave myself the option of taking another path.   I also never considered that he might have his own life path to take.  I never thought about letting him fly to the top of the mountain while I climbed and then meeting him at the top, where we would both be happy with the separate paths that we took and then the clouds and the music and God's finger and the Coke....you get the idea.  But the key point here is this...I CHOSE to do all of this.  I chose to set it up this way, I chose to assume the role I did, I chose the path.  I chose. 

Then my kids came along.  And when they came, my heart turned to jello and everything in my entire body screamed out with joy and fear and the most fiery hot intense love that I have ever felt in my life.  And in my zeal to give them the kind of childhood I wanted, I threw my entire being into making sure they get a fair shot at being normal and functional as they grow and face life in an adult world.  I want them to have choices that I never had.  So I sacrifice. 

I sacrificed my business and my career.  I sacrificed my body.  I sacrificed my wardrobe, my health, my happiness.  I put everything on hold for my kids and my husband.  I thought it was the right thing to do and at first I was really, really happy with my choice to walk away from everything that took my focus and attention away from my boys' well-being.  Because remember...my mission is to give them something different than I had - a solid home life where they feel wanted and loved and safe, no matter what is going on in the world around them.  It all sounds so noble, right?  I should have been so happy making these sacrifices, knowing they would give my kids the kind of life I didn't have.  Everything I did was for my kids, and sometimes my husband. I never did anything for myself.

But I wasn't happy.  I was mad that no one appreciated my efforts.  And my being a martyr was not noble.  All I was doing was teaching my boys to feel guilty for having a good life that I was giving them!  How whacked is that?!  I was constantly angry that I was not finding any joy in my role as a wife and a mom and I was blaming everyone but me.    

 

Then one day the realization hit me:  I asked for this.  I told God what I wanted and he gave it to me.  I wanted a husband, I wanted children and I got what I wanted.  I asked to be a stay at home mom and I got what I wanted.  These were my choices.  I can tell you they were and still are the right choices.  I know that with every fiber of my being.  But somehow my choices left me feeling trapped and unhappy and wanting to escape my reality to just let loose and be who I really am inside. 

 

The truth is I chose to give up that "fun, crazy, impulsive, creative" part of myself.  No one asked me to give it up, I just assumed that part of my self would be counterproductive to raising a family.  And really, I don't want my boys to have to go through some of what I went through when I was crazy and impulsive, because frankly, it was kind of scary to figure out how to navigate some of those situations with no one to turn to for advice and counsel and help.  So in my mind that meant I have to be a different person now so my kids have a good role model.  Because I'm setting the example for them, right? 

So somewhere during my life journey, my values changed.  Actually, they didn't change, I just finally developed a core set of values by which I want to live my life.  Maybe I was afraid that letting loose would lead me back to being the person I was a long, long time ago.  That person struggled with being able to stay safe around toxic people and situations because I didn't always have guiding principles by which to make good decisions.  While I had some fun times, I had no self-worth or no sense of how to protect myself.  I don't ever want to go back to that place of feeling like I had no value or reason to exist other than to be abused or neglected by the people who claimed to care about me.  And I never want my kids to feel like that.  Like they cannot protect themselves or that they don't have the skillset to deal with life's trials. 

 

So I made choices.  I decided that I wanted something different. Obviously the choices I made were based on some flawed logic and ideas.  Nevertheless, they were MY choices.  Did my choices create some kind of prison?  Yeah...you were right about that.  They did.  But one man's prison is another man's safety.  Obviously I didn't feel safe being myself.  Assuming the title of wife and mom gave me something to hide behind, for awhile anyway.  Your questions about marriage and kids and happiness kind of brought things full circle for me.  Your calling me out made me realize that for the last 2 years, through this blog and my writing and getting involved in various other endeavors, including my new job, I have been coming out of hiding.  It's been quite a process.  Sometimes slow, sometimes painful, sometimes scary, but really very exciting and fun, all at the same time.  So what does this all mean? 

 

Does this new realization mean I walk away from my family so I can feel free?  That's one choice people make.  Is it my choice?  Absolutely not!  It means I change the way in which I live my life with them.  Because it is my life, right?  It means that I give them the best of who I really am, because they deserve that effort from me and because I truly want to give it to them, not because I feel obligated to give it to them.  It means I give MYSELF the best of who I really am, because I deserve that.   It means I let the crazy, fun, spontaneous, creative parts of me come out once in awhile because my family needs to be with "Fun Geri" too sometimes!  It means I quit using my husband and kids as an excuse for not living my own life.  It means, my friend, that I would not be the person I am today had I not gotten married and had kids.  So while the experience may have felt like a burden at times over the last ten years, the truth is I would have never known these things about myself had I not made the choices I have made.  Getting to this realization has kind of sucked.  It's been painful and scary.  But now that I'm here...I feel free to be a different, better version of me.  Like it's okay now.  Somehow I have permission that I wouldn't give myself before.  And I can thank a dear new friend for caring enough to ask some really tough questions and push me to finally address the issue at the level it needed to be addressed.

 

Thank You.  I owe you.  Big time.  And I love yer guts for taking the time to really get to know me. I hope someday I can return the favor. 

Why We Don't Have a Date Night...

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of 20th Century Fox. All opinions are 100% mine.

You know how they say spouses need to have a date night to keep the romance alive?  Well, I agree.  But we don't have date night.  Ever.  Mostly because by the time we actually have a few minutes together we are both so wrung out that it's just easier to sit home and do nothing.  And because every time recently that we have tried to have a Date Night, it has turned out something like this:

Okay, okay. I admit, our Date Nights don't involve being chased down by hit men. Nor have we been shot at.  So far. Is that movie trailer hilarious or what!? I love the stripper pole thing!!

Date Night opens on April 9th and stars Tina Fey and Steve Carrell, both of whom I find to be extremely gifted comedians/actors. They play a bored suburban couple on their weekly dinner date and find themselves thrown into a night of intrigue: there’s breaking and entering, a car chase, a shootout and a showdown with an underworld boss at a strip club. Husband and wife come out of the adventure with some scratches and also with their ardor renewed. 

I guess this kind of experience would actually create some bonding moments, wouldn't it?  In a twist of irony, I think I will actually go see this Date Night Movie on opening weekend with Big Man. Wanna double date? It'll be fuuuuun!

Date Night Movie

BioGaia Probiotics Review

I think I have mentioned before on this blog that sometimes I have "gut" issues.  And I can tell you there is nothing worse than having a "gut attack" when you aren't expecting one. Little Man has gut issues too.  He was pretty colicky as an infant and continues to struggle with tummy stuff even now, 8 years later.  It sucks when your 8 year old is struggling with stomach issues, because they don't always have the foresight to say something to someone until it's too late.  We like to seek out natural ways to deal with these issues, so I jumped at the chance to try some probiotics by BioGaia when they were offered. 

 

When we received the package two weeks ago, I noticed that BioGaia products come in various forms, which I really appreciate, 'cause you know - what works for one kid doesn't necessarily work for another.  Their product line includes drops, chewable tablets and even straws that allow you to mix the probiotic with a beverage.  The products are completely safe and effective for both children and adults.  The drops and straws are great for infants and small children who may not be ready to chew a tablet.  I do have to say though, the glass bottle that the drops come in was kind of irritating to use at first, because you kind of have to shake it to get the drops to come out  since you can't squeeze it, making it difficult to get 5 drops until you kind of get the hang of it.  The tablets are easy to chew though and kinda tasty (lemony!). 

We went to work immediately at getting it into our systems.  Yes, I said we, because I'm getting in on this probiotic action myself.  I quickly commandeered the tablets, while Little Man works on the drops.  I was especially concerned about Little Man's system since he has had 3 courses of antibiotics in the last 4 months!  I know that antibiotics kill ALL of the bacteria in our guts, both good and bad, so I wanted to get something that would start replenishing the good flora that his body needs to digest and function properly.   

 

BioGaia probiotics products contain Lactobacillus reuteri (L. reuteri), which help the gut flora perform a number of useful functions in the body, such as: 

• Influence the development and function of the gut
• Assist in digestion and absorption of nutrients
• Synthesize vitamins
• Assist in the absorption of minerals
• Break down dietary carcinogens
• Influence the development and function of the immune system
• Form a natural defense barrier against bacteria, toxins and antigens
• Protect the body against infection

So...how do BioGaia products perform?  Well, I am happy to say that over the last 2 weeks my "attacks have subsided substantially.  I will continue to use the tablets until they are gone because I am noticing a big difference with my tummy issues.  Little Man was doing great until Easter and I think he OD'd on candy, so we may have to up his drops going into the new week, but overall, his gut health has improved.  One way I can definitely measure the improvement for him is by the lack of gaseous matters that normally escape his little booty! DANG!  The dude can choke a full grown man with his toots! (He'll hate me when he's older for being so open about his little issues!)

ANYWAY...back to BioGaia.  Seriously?  It's easy to administer, it's all natural, it tastes pleasant and it works. Here's a link where you can find out more about BioGaia's product line.  Check it out.  You'll thank me (and BioGaia) when your normally cute infant no longer has colick attacks in the middle of the night.  Or when you no longer have to smell little boy booty air during a long car drive in the Arizona heat with all the windows rolled up.  Or when you no longer have to hold your hiney while screaming at your spouse to pull over, pull over! PULL OVER NOW!  Would I steer you wrong?  Not in this area, 'cause I know all about gut issues.  Have ya read my blog?!?

Gratitude Post Part 2

Yep...there's more.  Another lengthy gratitude post.  More stuff for which I am grateful.  Can you stand this? Too gushy? I know, but like I said - my heart has been full lately.

So who'm I gonna thank today? 

My husband has really struggled with my going back to work, for a few reasons. First, he would rather be the one bringing in the majority of the income. Well, I would rather that be the case too, but until it happens, we have to work with what's been made available and that's the job I have right now. Which means he gets to be at home with the kids alot. It has been an adjustment for everyone and it has not been an easy adjustment for any of us. But I think we are getting better at dealing with the change and I want to thank Big Man for stepping up where he can. The house doesn't always get cleaned, but the kids are spending some real quality time with their father. Big Man is a great dad and I am so thankful that he takes the time to teach his boys valuable life lessons, like how to be a good consumer and how to be a discerning person when it comes to the friends they choose to hang out with. He prays with them and loves them and plays with them and sometimes he even feeds them vegetables with their dinner. I love him for his efforts and his desire to get me back home with them as quickly as he can.  Now if I can just figure out how to get him to quit splattering bacon grease all over the kitchen we'll really be in business!

My sweet, sweet boys deserve all the love and thanks that I can shower upon them.  They have really stepped up and tried to handle our new set of circumstances like little men.  They have had to stay with other people and get up at 2 a.m. to come home and go back to bed when we couldn't find a sitter who could help us out.  They have had to get their own breakfast on weekends when I am trying really hard to get a little sleep.  They have had to take on more responsibilities at home and I know they get stressed about it sometimes, but they are trying hard to roll with the punches. 

Little Man really misses his mom and has gone out of his way to make sure he gives me lots of hugs and kisses when he finally does see me.  Oh...if he only knew that some days those hugs are the only reason I can get through the day.  Knowing that there is a kid at home who thinks I am the greatest thing since sliced bread makes me wonder what the hell is wrong with him sometimes!?  I mean, seriously!  Do you not see what a trainwreck your mom can be, kid?   All joking aside, his love gives me a reason to try harder.  His hugs are like warm caramel to my vanilla ice cream soul.  I simply melt when he puts his arms around my neck and snuggles into my lap and tells me how much he has missed me.  At that moment, I would walk barefoot across frozen tundras and burning desert sands to ensure he has everything he needs to be a happy human being.  Knowing he still needs me is the best kind of feeling.  EVAH.  I am so grateful for his sensitive, kind nature.

And Big Brother?  He is doing exactly what he thinks he was put here on this earth to do: he's taking care of his family.  He likes having a kingdom to preside over and while I am gone, he presides.  Boy, does he preside!  He ensures that Little Man does his chores and homework (funny how someone else's homework is important, but not your own?).  Big Brother makes sure that the cat is fed, that the boys get to Scouts and he ensures that everyone is safe and sound at night by locking doors and turning out lights. Big Man says Big Brother prays for my safe return home from work every night and asks for us to be blessed so I can get back home and work here instead of for someone else.  He's the caretaker when I'm away.  He's getting kind of big for hugs and kisses he says, but a quick peck on my cheek and a squeeze from him helps me know that he's okay and that he can handle the changes that are taking place in our lives.  And sometimes I can move fast enough to get my arms around him for just a minute and kiss his forehead, which is now only a few inches lower than mine.  He wants so badly to be a man and I want him to be a boy a while longer.  I need him to stay young for a few more years so I can keep him close.  He's such a good boy and I am so grateful that he feels a sense of responsibility for us.

Can you handle one more gratitude shout-out?  I'm seeing that glazed look again, so I'll make it quick, but ya'll know I write like I talk, right?  And ya'll know how much I talk...right?  Okay.  Then quit givin' me a hard time about my long posts and start readin' faster so you can get through this ramble sometime before the day ends!  

Can I just say that my new co-workers rock out loud?!?!  Well...SOME of my new co-workers.  'Cause truthfully?  If I never see a few of them again I would be a happy, happy woman.  There are hundreds of people in this building where I work.  I usually get along with peole fairly well, but in my department of approximately 80 folks, there are a few who seriously rub EVERYONE the wrong way.  Luckily, I don't have to deal with those folks I don't like much, because I mostly stay with my little team of 11 peeps in Box Creation, plus a few others who kind of got adopted into the group.  We're a weird little group.  We're kind of our own island.  We bonded way too quickly and we have some drama once in awhile, but in the end, most of us all really, truly care about each other.  It's kind of like a little dysfunctional family, but way less dysfunctional than one would think if they were looking in from the outside.  I think it's because we talk alot.  Our job function allows us to do that and still be productive.  In fact, the fact that we can visit while we work actually enhances our productivity.  It's pretty repetitive work.  So talking helps.  On many levels.  So issues just kind of end up working themselves out through the conversations we have.   We talk about everything while we work and we work freaking HARD! Sometimes we complain, but we get stuff done and we get it done right.  The other teams all want to be us, but they can't be us, because we have this cool factor that cannot be duplicated. I'm so not even joking about that.  Okay...kind of I am, but seriously?  We have had other people from other teams in the department tell us that they envy the fact that our team is so tight.  They think it's awesome.  We think it's awesome too.  It just kind of happened...so we embraced it. 

My team members are HI. LAR.I.OUS!  They make me laugh harder than I have laughed in years.   I have also cried on a few occasions while I was there.  Yeah.  I know.  EXTREMELY unprofessional.  And the tears completely hit me out of nowhere.  Raging hormones and stress, I guess.  My team?  Hugged me, grabbed me a Kleenex and proceeded to think of every stupid or funny thing they could say to help me get it under control.  When that didn't work, they took me outside and talked me through the meltdown, then said some more really stupid, funny things and we all moved on.  They took me at face value and let me cry and several of them even offered some really good and helpful advice.  Amazingly helpful coming from people who are so different than me.  They get how hard this transition has been for me.  They laugh about it alot. They enjoy watching the rollercoaster of emotions that I go through on a minute by minute basis there.  I'm up, I'm down, I'm up, I'm down...it's like that for most of the shift.  Although I have to say, in my defense, I think I am finally leveling out, but I'm glad I can provide some much needed comic relief with my mood swings and work place trauma.  

My new friends are all (okay, mostly all) hard workers and fair-minded people with wit and charm and intelligence and beauty.  They make working away from home tolerable.  They value me, not only as a co-worker but as a person.  They let me mother them (most are younger than me!) and they take care of me and we all talk about life after the Census.  If I could I bring them to my next place of business I would, 'cause I don't want to make new friends and go through getting to know a whole new group of people again in a few months when this job is over.  If I have to work outside of my home for a while, I want to work with THESE friends.  They have made my first venture back into the workforce a memorable and mostly fun experience. So I need to thank Eric, Jesse, Lizzette, Monica, Mercedes, Roxann, Patrick, Faith, Brittany, Mike, Melody, Pat, Stephen, Pebble, LT and Marilee for helping me see that I can survive out in the work world.  Your support and humor have made all the difference where this job is concerned and I am a better person for knowing each one of you.

And last - at least for now - I have to publicly thank my Heavenly Father for providing me and my family with what we need and for giving me the strength I need every day to face the challenges that are in front of me.  He has blessed me greatly.        

A Few Rants and an EcoSMART Winner!!

I have so much to catch up on here on the blog and in my life and tomorrow is Easter and I am running around like a wild woman trying to get everything done this weekend and I'm kind of freaking out trying to figure out what should take precendence...my house?  My blog?  The bills?  My car?  AAUUGGGHHH!!!  Whew!  Thanks for letting me get that out.  And thanks for letting me get this out...

My new hair cut sucks.  Not even close to what I asked for.  Okay, actually it is kind of close to what I asked for, just way shorter than what I had asked for and kind of choppy.  So maybe in like 3 weeks it will look okay.  In the meantime, I have to figure out how to work with what I have.  Which could be tricky, as I am styling challenged when it comes to messing with my hair.  If it ain't easy, I can't make it work.  No amount of product in the world can compensate for my lack of hair styling skills.  Okay, actually that is not true.  Because there is this wicked hair spray out there somewhere that I had a few months ago that actually DID compensate for my lack of skills, but I don't remember the name of it and I can't seem to find it anywhere, but I will recongnize it when I see it and buy THAT STUFF again!  'Cause it rocked my hair!

Okay...on to the business at hand.  I have pest control stuff to give away, from EcoSMART.  So let's hit Random.org and find out who's winnin' some bug killer today!

Woot!  Miss Hope is the official winner of the EcoSmart Natural Bug Killer Value Bundle Giveaway! Congrats, Hope!  You will be contacted about how to claim your prize.  

And for the rest of you, there will be more giveaways coming up this week, so stop back by for another chance to win some awesome products!